Oil in America

A Pictorial Story of the Petroleum Industry in the United States.

This vibrant mid-century pictorial map is a masterclass in corporate propaganda. It was designed by the renowned General Drafting Company and published by the Standard Oil Company (New Jersey) in 1957. Issued to commemorate the firm’s 75th ‘Diamond Jubilee’ anniversary, the promotional piece serves as a compelling visual argument for the petroleum industry’s critical role in America’s postwar prosperity.

Every corner of the nation is filled with charming illustrations depicting the vast reach of Standard Oil’s operations, from refineries and pipelines to the ubiquitous service stations that fueled the mid-century expansion of the American road trip. Vignettes in every state emphasize the underlying importance of petroleum products (fuel, consumer goods, industrial equipment, etc.) to all Americans, regardless of class or profession. However, there are no people of color depicted – a notable omission. Inset maps along the upper margin provide a more technical overview of the company’s producing interests and infrastructure.

The accompanying text offers a sanitized and celebratory history of the petroleum juggernaut, largely sidestepping the environmental impacts, labor issues, and landmark 1911 antitrust lawsuit that forced the original monopoly to splinter. Ironically, this map was issued by Esso (Standard Oil of New Jersey), which would eventually become Exxon and later merge with fellow ‘Standard’ descendant Mobil, effectively reuniting two of the largest pieces of the original Rockefeller empire.